Hello, Lovelies!

I am very proud to present this chapter to you! I've been incredibly excited to write it for some time and, to my pleasure, it turned out perfect in my opinion. I hope you all love it was much as I do and I also hope that you'll take the time to let me know if it meets your expectations!

Typical disclaimer, I own nothing, I make no profits!

Cheers,

Majix

Groggy and disoriented, Ciel Phantomhive came awake with burst of consciousness, his eyes heavy, unresponsive for the moment and buds of panic began to blossom within his thoughts. For the briefest moment the teen feared that he was back in the void, that his physical body was lying unresponsive while his mind was trapped in an abyss of darkness waiting for a discombobulated voice to make itself known. Almost immediately though, he cast that idea aside.

Despite feeling more than a little disconnected, and unable to open his eyes, the Earl could feel the faintest hint of a breeze against his skin, smell bits of sulfur in the air and regardless of his inability to move, that knowledge comforted him. With the physical came a hope for escape that remained unfounded in the dark in-between that he'd once found himself trapped in. As the original source of his anxiety began to recede, the night's previous events came back in a rush. Being on stage, being strapped to a chair for the entertainment of an audience, waiting for Sebastian to release him so that he could stand victorious among the masses, the sharp and prickly feeling of something magically foreign sweeping across his flesh, leaving his nerves feeling as though all his muscles had fallen asleep for a split second before unconsciousness swallowed him whole.

As the blue haired teen struggled to recall the exact events that lead him to where he was, striving for any number of details that he could have originally missed, he felt the unnatural discomfort of something watching him. If he hadn't been trapped as he was, the realization might have made the boy freeze, but as it was, since he was already without the ability to move, Ciel settled for trying to find any and all means at his disposal to escape, or at the very least, communicate with whoever was in the room with him.

With no small amount of trying, the Earl focused all of his efforts on trying to break through whatever force was keeping him docile and still. It was a frustrating endeavor, one that resulted in very little aside from the occasional twitch of one of his fingers or a muscle spasm. Powerlessness surged through him with unexpected ferocity, making the youth want to squirm with discomfort when, without a hint of warning, the force was lifted, leaving the boy to jerk forward, his eyes flying open and his fingers scrabbling for purchase.

The first thing Ciel noticed, as it was impossible to miss, was the man sitting across from him.

He was tall and slender with pitch black hair that fell to the sides of his forehead in a messy, windblown type style. His skin was nearly devoid of color, standing out in stark contrast to the darkness of his hair, made even more off putting by the cold, calculating look on his face. Clad in a perfectly pressed servant's suit, he resembled Sebastian much more than the boy was willing to consider. His features were perfect, unnaturally symmetrical, but aloof and disconnected in a way that could only belong to a demon. However, what alarmed the teen the most were the golden eyes that watched him without shame.

A flicker of recollection colored the Earl's memory and without even having to try, he could hear the soft whisper of his faceless companion from the abyss, telling him to beware of the man with yellow eyes. In that moment, Ciel knew that this was the man from the circus. Since that night, the memories of the man's face appeared almost blurred when he tried to recall. They lingered far away, hazy and out of focus like a half remembered dream, but this was real, this was more real than Ciel was comfortable admitting but despite the flickers of fear and the warning bells going off inside his head, he showed no outward signs of alarm.

The second thing he noticed was their location. If one thing was for certain, they were not in the circus. Instead, Ciel found himself in a room that reminded him of the many he had at the manor. The walls were decorated with tasteful paintings, high quality drapes over the windows. Bookshelves made an appearance along two of the four the walls, their shelves lined with old texts. A stone fireplace stood beside them, the flames burning bright within. The man across from him was seated in an expensive brown high winged chair, leather if his own chair was anything to go on, but the most prominent item to draw his attention was the beautiful stone chessboard in between them.

A flicker of annoyance passed through the boy with the knowledge that he'd been presented with the white pieces but considering the fact that he was seated across from a demon, he wasn't exactly surprised.

"Welcome, Earl Phantomhive."

His voice was similar to Sebastian's, unnatural, low and seductive but where as his lover always spoke his title with a certain amount of respect, the creature before him did so with an edge of amusement, like somebody humoring a child with the flourished titles of richer and more powerful figures. Ciel often thought about how much he enjoyed Sebastian's voice, and though the demon in front of him held similar tones, he felt that they did not compare. Where others would have felt lust or desire at hearing it, Ciel only felt suspicion and weariness. He supposed it was something many demons had in common, just another tool at their disposal to attract prey and make them more easily persuaded.

Ciel frowned, not at all pleased with the situation so far, "I know what you are. Why am I here?"

The yellow eyed demon tsked in disapproval, crossing one leg over the other, "My, right to the point. You don't bother with pleasantries, do you Ciel?"

The teen bristled at the mention of his first name, eyes narrowed in irritation, "Inquiring about our location is pointless. You are a beast and I am merely human, I have no hope of escaping you until you either tell me what you want and release me or until my companion finds me. So, please, spare us both the theatrics."

A cruel and inhuman smile curled the creature's lips before once again disappearing behind a wall of indifference, "A beast you say? Careful, when you speak such of me, you're also referring to your lover."

Jaw clenched, the younger man regarded the golden eyed demon with well displayed annoyance, "Don't take me for a fool. I know what he is, just as I know what you are and if I claim that you are a beast, then trust that I know what I'm saying and to whom I refer."

The claim left a sour taste in his mouth and though Ciel knew that his lover was capable of more than a few beastly acts, he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually thought of Sebastian as such. Still, demon appeared pleased, "Ah, such a rarity. How few and far between do I come across mortals as interesting as yourself."

Ciel ignored the praise, wanting nothing more than to roll his eyes but thought better of it, choosing instead to address the deflection from earlier, "You still haven't told me why we're both here."

Without so much as a warning, a table appeared beside the chessboard, alongside two tumblers and an unlabeled bottle of what the teen assumed was alcohol. It was startling, such casual and unobstructed display of supernatural power. While he'd witnessed such things before in the company of his own demon, it'd never been done in such a nonchalant manner. And never without Ciel having explicitly stated that such was alright. However, the teen wasn't really surprised. It was a power play, a glimpse at the creature beneath the flesh and a silent demand for respect. He could just as easily gotten up to fetch the desired objects, but by making them appear, he was reminding his adversary what he was capable of, and that he was not a being to be trifled with.

Ciel wanted to snort. He'd been threatened before, with or without the flare of supernatural abilities and it never changed. The need to be in control, to display dominance for all to see and understand, to force submission and respect. It was child's play and though he didn't show it, Ciel felt disappointed by the man across from him.

The yellow eyed man uncrossed his legs and sat forward, wrapping his fingers around the neck of the bottle and pouring a small amount of the amber liquid into both glasses, "I thought, perhaps, that we could chat. Share a drink like old friends over a game of chess."

a feeling of greater unease swept through the Earl as the creature across from him leaned forward to hand him the glass. It was a simple exchange, something done between both friends and enemies during appropriate times but as the crystal was passed from one hand to the other, the dark haired demon purposefully dragged one of his fingers along Ciels, his touch lingering just a fraction of a second longer than it should have, even in a setting between friends or colleagues, and it took all of his effort not to cringe at the contact.

Ciel frowned, studying the glass with a critical eye but not making any move to take a sip, "But we are not old friends. We are enemies."

The elder smirked, "It's not poisoned, I assure you." He reiterated as much by taking a sip from his own glass but Ciel didn't budge.

"Such a display is pointless." After placing the unwanted glass back on the table, the teen mirrored his adversary's previous pose, crossing his legs and steepling his fingers thoughtfully, "I've witnessed Sebastian do many a task that should have killed him were he human and live to tell the tale. You don't fool me, demon."

That shark-like grin returned and as the blue haired Earl watched it slip across the man's face, he realized what an accurate description that was for the man across from him. Dangerous, a beast of immense power and strength, but as he stared into the returning indifference, he was also able to see the flat and vacant expression of a shark, the way his dead eyes followed any and all movements from the Earl. It was unsettling. How could Alois bare to be around a being such as him? While in his own situation, Ciel was free to admit himself less than picky about the demon who saved him, but Sebastian was nothing like this being that seemed more monster than man.

"Ah, Sebastian. What a name for a demon. How painfully human. If I recall correctly, you named him after your dog, did you not? If I am not mistaken, you've willingly told your demon that to his face." Ciel's nobility and the lessons Sebastian put him through were the only thing that kept the shock from his face at the casual display of knowledge about his childhood and the reasoning behind his butler's name but the creature continued, "None the less, you are clever, child. Level headed even in moments of danger. Wonderful."

The man sat his drink back on the table and gestured to the board, "Shall we?"

The insult of being called a child was annoying, a slap to the face of his person and all that he'd accomplished, but the Earl didn't hold out hope of gaining any real form of respect from a creature like the one in his company. However, the prospect of a game of chess was appealing. He'd managed to beat Sebastian a few times, rare as it was, and regardless of who this particular demon was or how old he managed to be, Ciel couldn't imagine a more brilliant chess player than Sebastian.

With a nod, the boy spoke, "I'm agreeable."

"Excellent."

Knowing that he would have the first move, Ciel stared casually at the board, wondering just where he wanted to begin and how he wanted to treat a game such as theirs. Deciding that he'd rather start simple and build a game plan around how the other operated, Ciel chose something simple. White pawn to E4.

"I suppose, since we are here, that I will allow you to call me by my name," Black pawn to E5, "You may call me Claude."

Ciel wanted to scoff, he had no intention of calling that vile creature by any sort of name, but every scrap of information helped, "And you claimed that Sebastian was a human name. Dull. Was that name given to you by Alois?" White pawn to F4.

"No." The demon ignored the blatant disrespect and circled his finger above one of the many black pieces, gently fingering another pawn, "I am one of the few demons that decide on their own name." The yellow eyed demon slid his selected pawn across the board, capturing one of Ciel's white ones. Black pawn to F4.

The teen sneered, "How grotesque. I suppose that I should have expected little else from someone such as you." White Knight to F3.

Claude, again, appeared unfazed by his remark, taking a sip of his brandy before directing a pointed look at the mortal across from him "Only the weak allow others to choose their identities." Black Bishop to E7.

Ciel paused, considering the board for a moment with a near inaudible hum, "That may be so, but you are a demon, are you not? Your very being, every hair on your head, every inch of you belongs to your master until the time of consumption. Including your identity. To say that you do not allow whatever master you contract those choices implies that you are less flexible than those that do. One might say that's a disadvantage." White Bishop to C4.

The demon tapped one of his fingers against the glass in his hand. If the teen had to guess he would say that the demon was annoyed, but that seemed ridiculous. Especially considering how unshakable his own demon was. Perhaps the right word would have been thoughtful.

"While that is true, there is power in names. In identities. I don't group myself with the nameless, I am more than them and as such my identity has very little to do with my meals." Black Bishop to H4.

A light blue brow raised in question as Ciel considered his next movie, "And what, pray tell, are you, if not another nameless demon?" White pawn to G3.

Lengthy fingers once again grasped for a black pawn as the dark haired man prepared to make his movie, "I am a Keeper, like you. A being tasked with watching over your pathetic species and keeping you from annihilation." Yet another of Ciel's pawns was taken as Clade made his move. Black pawn to G3.

Before he could keep it contained, an amused snicker crossed the boy's lips, betraying his thoughts on the arrogance of the creature across from him, "A self assumed position, I would guess." White King to G0.

"Hardly," Golden eyes flickered down to the board before returning the teen's brazen gaze, his indifference making way for a smirk born of an over-inflated ego, "Much like yourself, my position was given to me. Though for me, rather than from the will of a meaningless ruler of many to come, mine was by the hand of an omniscient being of higher importance." Black pawn to H2.

That statement alone caused the Earl to pause, his hand momentarily stilling as he reached out for another piece. In all the time that he'd been with Sebastian, the demon had never once mentioned a higher power. Ciel, of course, assumed that it was most likely out there since it had been explicitly stated that he would never reach Heaven but for some reason, most likely due to the lack of acknowledgement, he always tended to assume that the statement was more of a dramatic flare than anything. A deterrent. Aside from that fact, the idea that a higher power such as God, if that was indeed who the deity claimed to be, would give a demon a higher purpose seemed ludicrous.

"A being of higher importance?" White King to G0.

His pleasure at having captured the teen's attention was made clear by the momentarily amused smirk that crossed his features before the ancient being lifted the glass to his lips, taking another sip, "Of course." Pale fingers adorned with unnaturally dark nails daintily lifted one of the pawns, "You didn't actually believe that we were alone in the universe did you? Or even that this universe was the only one out there? How ignorant." Black pawn to D5.

Ciel tilted his chin up, unwilling to appear weak or cowed before the eyes of his opponent as he captured the newly moved pawn, "Are you actually saying that there's a God?" White Pawn to D5.

Claude scoffed, "Not a God, multiple gods. Two of them. Two superior beings to watch over the many timelines of this insignificant universe with the aid of a few meaningless creatures along the way." Black Bishop to F6.

For some reason that the blue haired Earl couldn't quite determine, the demon sounded slightly bitter. If their earlier conversation was anything to go on the teen assumed that Claude was one of the appointed creatures meant to aid through servitude and though he could understand to a point why that bothered him, he really didn't.

"Timelines, you said?" The boy questioned, not so subtly fishing for information that he probably shouldn't have. White pawn to D4.

Claude waved a hand as if the information were inconsequential, "Yes, but let's not talk about that," He tapped one of his fingers atop the black knight and even before the demon spoke, Ciel already knew what turn the conversation would take, "Let's talk about Sebastian, again, such a silly name for a demon." Black Knight to E7.

Regardless of his efforts to keep the defensive feelings to himself, Ciel knew that they came through loud and clear, especially before the eyes of a creature that saw all, "What is there to tell? He is the creature who will consume my soul once I've completed my goals." White Knight to G5.

A cruel smile curved the indifferent man's lips and in that moment, the blue haired boy couldn't deny the flicker of fear that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, he couldn't deny that this creature made him uneasy, made him want to scream for his own demon to save him.

"Oh no, he's much more than that. I've seen it. Seen the relationship you hold and I must admit, it is quite complex for a relationship such as yours." Claude swirled the last of the amber liquid around the bottom of his glass. Black pawn to H6.

Ciel appeared unimpressed, "So you can see the future then?" White Knight to F7.

"So many realities have passed before my eyes. I have seen your end more times than I care to admit, I've watched the endless adventures you share, the mysteries you solve, and in all my years I've never seen a more twisted relationship between a demon and their master, and that was before you became lovers. Now though.." He let the sentence trail off before leaning forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper,"You know why people are afraid of Hell, Phantomhive? It has nothing to do with the fire and brimstone or the torture. It's the idea that it lasts forever, that the torture will never end." With those words, Claude grabbed his black king and without even having to look at the board, Ciel knew that it would take his knight, "There's a reason more people don't sell their souls to achieve their desires, and what that crow demon has in store for you is so much worse than Hellfire." Black King to F7.

The teen sat stunned for a moment, trying to process the fact that, not only was Claude an exceptionally powerful demon, one that could apparently view the consequences of different events that hadn't even happened in the world they lived in, but what he said about Sebastian as well. There was, of course, part of him that worried about what waited on the other side, about what would happen to him after the demon consumed his soul, but for some reason, it'd always been a distant thought. He'd never considered that there might be something worse than Hell.

Ciel frowned, "I made my choices, I don't regret them. I deserve whatever happens to me. Few mortals get the privilege of knowing when they'll die." White pawn to D6.

Just as before when he'd called Claude a beast at the expense of calling his own lover one as well, the yellow eyed demon appeared pleased by his response, "Ah, how refreshing. Not often are humans so brave in the face of their own ends. Tell me, can you feel death when he touches you?" Black King to F8.

Ciel turned his nose up, "Whatever I feel or do not feel when he touches me is none of your concern." He grabbed the white queen and barely refrained from slamming it down on the board. White Queen to H5.

An amused look lit up the dull eyes of his opponent, "I seem to have struck a nerve. Apologies. Instead, let me ask you this, did you choose to let your demon place his mark in your eye, or did he do so without asking?" Black Queen to E8.

For the first time since they started, Ciel realized, with a start, that he didn't have his eye patch. The contract was completely exposed and, for some reason he couldn't explain, that made him feel more unnerved than anything else that'd been spoken of since their encounter began, "It was my choice, just as all of Sebastian's actions since then have been my choice." Thin fingers tipped his rook from side to side. White Rook to F6.

His enemy hummed thoughtfully, staring at the board with a less than pleased expression, "Willing to brand your very soul with the mark of a beast for all to see when they look upon your face. How appealing. I hope it was painful." He smirked, taking the boy's white rook for his own. Black pawn to F6.

Memory hit home and, with a fair amount of well hidden effort, Ciel swallowed down the remembrance of that pain, of the scalding heat and the flare of possession, of the evil that sunk its claws in deep and filled him with so much agony that he couldn't breathe until it was over, "And what of Alois?" The teen deflected, "Did you offer him a choice when you marked him?" White Queen to H6.

The cruel smile returned, "Ah yes, Alois. Such a poor boy. His entire family was slaughtered, his beloved brother killed before his eyes as his village burned to the ground. As the only survivor, he was sold as a slave. Raped and tortured by the late Earl Trancy before finally summoning enough hatred in his heart to cast aside faith and draw me from the shadows." The demon's eyes danced with malice, "I'm afraid that he's under the impression that you were the one to orchestra the entire event. How unfortunate." He sneered before taking the Earl's queen. Black Rook to H6.

Behind his chest, the blue haired boy felt as though his heart would stop as all the pieces sunk into place. Why Alois was at the circus alongside Claude, why the blonde hated Ciel so much and why he was trying to deceive him, why the need to separate him from his demon, to give Alois a chance to attach himself, to do damage and for the moment, Ciel lost all focus from the chess game, "You set him up?"

Claude scoffed, "Of course I did, you daft boy. Why else would I have need for a useless mortal such as him? How else was I supposed to draw you into my game without raising suspicion? Alois is a pawn, just like you and everyone else."

Ciel clenched his jaw before looking down at the board, only to find himself beyond shocked to realize that the demon had made a mistake, one that he'd left himself open to attack, leaving his rook exposed for the Earl to take "Only a fool forgets that pawns have a power of their own." White Bishop to H6.

"Checkmate"

It was only then that Claude realized his error. In his thrilled excitement at the prospect of taking out Ciel's queen, he'd neglected to protect his king in the event that his rook would be swept from the board. And there, between the two of them, sat a single white pawn, ready to take down the ever solid black king, and there wasn't a single move that the other could make to get there and stop it in time.

Remembering Sebastian's words from earlier, the teen with the mismatched eyes stared into the disbelieving gaze of his opponent, "Zugzwang."

Anger colored that gaze, filled it with rage at being beaten, but there was also a certain amount of respect there as well, a begrudging respect but it was still there none the less, "Well played, Phantomhive. Well played."

Claude reached over and tipped his king, both males watching as it fell to the board.

"So," Ciel leaned back in his chair, "Is this where you kill me?"

To the Earl's surprise, the demon barked out a laugh, "Kill you? No, please. Don't be so obvious. That will come in time, but for now, I'm going to return you. I'm going to return you to the circus, mainly unharmed, and watch as you desperately try to find a way to stop the events I've already put into motion. But, before you go, I've got something for you."

The teen raised an eyebrow in question only to jump in unabashed alarm when Claude suddenly appeared beside him without so much as a whisper of warning, much closer than appropriate. Unnatural body heat poured off the angered creature in thick waves and Ciel couldn't suppress the shiver of disgust that shook his frame as the demon leaned in close and inhaled, the very tip of Claude's nose brushing against his jaw, "A parting gift if you will."

Without warning, he was pressing two of his fingers against the boy's sternum and hissing in an ancient language. Licks of fire seemed to burn across the flesh where the demon touched him and as he felt the magic begin to take hold, Ciel could feel his left eye blaze with agony, making the normally stoic Earl scream out in pain before losing all grasp on reality, once again falling into the unknown horrors that Claude had waiting for him.